News Releases

Ithaca College Pass Rates for National Certification Exams Set the Pace

ITHACA, NY — Ithaca College students continue to score well above the national average on certification exams for both athletic training and physical therapy.

Over the last three years, the Ithaca College pass rate for the Board of Certification exam for athletic trainers has been 100 percent, with 47 out of 47 Ithaca graduates passing on their first try. The national pass rate for the same period has been about 63 percent.

For the National Licensing Exam for Physical Therapy, from 2007 to 2012 (the latest data available) the Ithaca College pass rate has been 94 percent, with 319 out of 338 students passing on their first attempt. The national pass rate for the same period has been 86 percent and the New York State rate 77 percent.

Both programs are housed in the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy sets the standards for becoming a licensed physical therapist, while the Board of Certification does the same for the practice of athletic training.

“The goal of our allied health programs is to provide graduating students with the advanced knowledge and skills that will allow them to perform at higher than expected levels when they begin their chosen careers,” said Linda Petrosino, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance. “This data testifies to the efforts of the school’s faculty as well as the preparedness of our students.”

Students majoring in allied health programs have the opportunity to work in a clinical setting from day one. Athletic training majors have access to a newly renovated and expanded Center for Athletic Training, which features large treatment and rehabilitation areas and a hydrotherapy room with a cold immersion tank. The Ithaca College on-campus Physical Therapy Clinic allows students to observe and work directly under faculty who are licensed physical therapists as early as their freshman year.

The program leading to a bachelor of science degree in athletic training is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. The six-year curriculum in physical therapy results in a bachelor’s degree in clinical health studies and a professional doctorate in physical therapy.